A Valentine Rhyme
by Anosano
Summary: Harry is visited by a Valentine-bearing dwarf. Whaaat? Another boy? DracoxHarry
1. Chapter 1

A Valentine Rhyme

            Professor Binns didn't stop for anything, even his own death, so when a Valentine-bearing dwarf barged in, asked for 'Arry Potter, he ignored the interruption and continued on, while the whole class crowded around the embarrassed boy, waiting to hear the letter.

            "Ahem: 

_I pass you in the hallways; I pass you on the green, _

_I pass you in the classroom; you really make me scream._

_You know me, I know you_

_You don't know me, now do you?_

Well, that was it." The cupid began to roll up the scroll, delighted his duty was finished, and pulled out a flask of something to drink, "My throat gets awfully sore, these days," he explained.

"Wait! Who was it from?" Harry asked, as the classroom burst into whispers from the nice people, and outright laughter from the others.

"No name. Did you like the rhymin'? 'E didn't want to make up a rhyme, but it has to be poem form, so I told 'im I'd make one for the poor boy."

"Whaat? HIM? What did he say, then? How old was he?" He was totally humiliated. Harry would never live this one down. But he _was_ glad that whoever liked him hadn't composed a special rhyming love poem.

"Yeah, is that bad?" The dwarf looked quizzical, "'E said somethin' about how 'e liked you lots, but couldn't tell you…an' how you'd never guess him, an' not to bother…'bout your age, I'd suppose, annnn' he was real nervous an' all, I think 'e really did like you." The dwarf concluded, trying to be romantic. He asked, looking hopefully up at the boy. "Are you goin' to look for 'im?"

"N-no. If he doesn't want to find me, I'll leave him alone," Harry told him, wishing more than ever the pink-bedecked messenger would leave.

            The class, however, was adamant- find the boy and figure out the message. Half the wizards-in-training thought it was a bad joke and wanted Harry to fight him, the other thought it was true love. Hermione, the closet romantic, was all for figuring out the person, while Ron thought someone had thought Harry a fool.

            "Harry! Don't you see, some boy wants to come out and say he likes you, but doesn't know how! We have to help him!"

            "But I don't like—"

            "I know! Still, it's better to be true to yourself, so we should—"

            "Harry! Some bloke is plotting to make you the laughing-stock of the school! Don't go looking, or else you'll be known as Fairy Potter. Or something." Ron finished, getting an evil glare from Hermione. "I mean, Not that it's bad to be gay, but it's a joke! No one would use these cupids seriously!"

            Hermione whirled on him, "how do you know?"

            "Did you?"

            "No! But I know someone who did!"

            "Not this boy, someone else!"

            "Yes, someone else!" the icy tone was enough to silence Ron. He didn't dare ask who.

            Harry had also thought Professor Lockhart's dwarves were a bit of a joke, so when he got another one later that day in the hall, he wasn't surprised to get more laughs. Unfortunately, Malfoy was right there. "Someone's got a crush on _Potter? Who in their right mind would like a freak like him?" _

Harry just missed seeing Ginny run in the other direction, holding her face in her hands. But Draco didn't. He narrowed his eyes, and turned to Crabbe and Goyle.

            "Find that red-haired girl. She's undoubtedly a Weasley. I want to speak to her." Crabbe smirked menacingly, and Goyle was a bit confused. Not that he wasn't always confused, but Ginny wasn't exactly Malfoy's _type, not thatGoyle really knew what Malfoy's type was. He didn't really know. Nevertheless, they stomped off in search of the girl._

            "Hey, has anyone seen Ginny? I read over her essay on transfiguring live objects, and— Ginny!" Hermione called. Ginny had stumbled through the portrait hole, obviously exhausted, "Ginny, are you ok?"

            Ginny nodded, looking grim, and walked towards the girl's dormitories. She looked up, heard the giggle of girls having a chat, and turned around, deciding to sit in a poofy common-room chair instead. The room was empty except for the trio of friends.

            "Ginny, what happened. If any guy…" Ron stood up angrily.

            "Ron, sit _down_" Hermione ordered, back turned. She was busy looking over the essay one more time. Ron sat down.

            "Ginny, is everything all right?" Harry asked gently. She hiccupped then, a muffled sort of sound.

            "Y-yeah. I'm fine. I think I'll…go to," she looked up the stairs again. A length of ribbon fluttered down, charmed to sparkle rainbow colors. It flashed and glowed, turning her face various hues, "Go take a walk."

            "Be careful, it's almost time for lights out." Ron called.

            "That's never stopped you!" Ginny called back, and stuck out her tongue. Ron sighed.

            "Well, I'm going to go give this to her. Concentrating on something else will relieve the strain of young love." Hermione said matter-of-factly, and walked out of the common-room as well.

            "Young- young what?" Ron yelled, but the Fat Lady had already swung closed. "Bloody hell. Young love."

            "What's wrong?" Hermione jogged up behind the girl.

            "Wha?! Oh, Hermione, it's awful!" Ginny turned around and faced her.

            "Is it Harry?"

            "Yeah. He has another crush!"

            "On someone? Or from someone?"

            "From someone. It's— Oh, but I can't tell you, he would find out and get mad! I found out by accident!"

            "Harry wouldn't get mad!"

            "No he might not, but M- the other guy would get mad!" she hissed, upset, "I really can't tell you, besides, Harry wouldn't like him anyway….I've said too much."

            "Really, Ginny. We knew some boy had a crush on Harry. Just not who. He sent Harry a poem. Actually, Harry got two poems." Hermione inspected the shorter girl, who blushed and looked down.

            "He didn't like it," she whispered.

            "He did, it was just so…abrupt. You know, getting it in the halls and all. I'll keep it a secret for now, as well as the other boy, because Harry's so stressed right now, with everything. Oh, here's your essay."

            "Thanks, Hermione."

            When Hermione got back, Harry and Ron were playing wizard's chess, Ron winning, and they seemed to have forgotten about the incident. She didn't have a clue as to who the boy was. So she let it drop, content to let Harry be at peace for once.


	2. Chapter 2

A Valentine Rhyme (part 2)

The next morning, Ron rose to find Harry sifting through a list of their classmates, sent out at the beginning of the year with parent's names and addresses for floo networks.

            "Nope, nope, nope." He crossed the names off with his quill. "No one I know would like me!"

            "Harry, it was a joke. A really bad one." Ron reflected. "Anyway, if it was a joke it would be someone who didn't like you, I bet. If it wasn't a joke…" He pondered the implications of the sentence, looking around their shared dorm room. "D' you suppose someone in the room…is gay?" he whispered.

            "Are you agreeing with me?" Harry didn't look up, intent on the names, "What if it's someone I don't know?"

            "I am not. Well. There's no harm in asking. We could present it as a joke. Or, ''Scuse me, but I believe you sent me a Valentine?'" Ron brightened.

            "No, someone honestly likes me, I can tell." Or maybe he just wanted someone to honestly like him for him. Not Voldemort's destroyer, or Quidditch seeker, or anything else. "I'll just have to ask people today. Hmmm…"

            While Harry went through the Great Hall asking people if it was them who sent him a message, Draco left early, taking a roll and his minions to the common-room. "Fancy that, Potter thinks he actually has a chance at getting a boyfriend."

            Crabbe snickered, "I wonder who it was. Imagine it being someone we knew! A fag, right here at Hogwarts!"

            Goyle agreed, "Yeah, the fags and the mudbloods should be killed this year with that monster."

            Malfoy whipped around and scowled, "You two brutes are awfully talkative today."

            The loutish boys hung their heads in shame and the walk continued on without any more conversation.

            On the other side of the castle, Harry was having no luck. People either laughed or wished him well in his search, but no one came forward.

"Maybe he's not here?" Ron suggested, and Harry thought he was right. He couldn't see anyone who was missing from his list. He went down the names, but he had checked everyone off. Perhaps the person was someone who he had eliminated earlier as not being close enough to him. A thought occurred to him.

            "Hey, Ron?" Harry said, trying to sound cheerful.

            "Yeah?" Ron was suspicious.

            "It's not…well, it's not…you, by any chance?" For a reply, Harry got a smack on the head. "Ow! Ok, ok!"

            That night, after enduring Crabbe and Goyle all day, Draco allowed himself to sneak out and look for the boy who required so much of his attention. Instead, he found him with Ginny Weasley, standing in front of a hideous picture of a fat lady.

            "That brat! If she says anything…" He knew of her crush. In fact, the whole school knew. Harry was an idiot. 

            "…Can I borrow your notes from last year? I can't seem to understand…" her voice was inaudible. The blonde strained to hear their conversation, "Well," Harry was saying, "I don't know, I'll see if I have them, come on up to my room and we can root around. I'll need help going through all the notes. I really have no idea." That's it! The wench! She was going to lure him upstairs and…Malfoy could hardly think. He managed to casually walk by. "Hello, Potter. Weasley. Bit late for a stroll?"

            "You as well, Malfoy. What are you doing?"

            "Professor Snape wanted to see me about my age potions- said they were exceptionally good." He didn't even think about what a jealous boyfriend he was being. He wasn't even his boyfriend!

            "Right, I'm sure. Well, Ginny, come—"

            "Ahh, Weasley, McGonagall wanted to see you about something." Malfoy hurriedly made something up.

            "Really?"

            "Would I lie to you?" Malfoy smiled, hoping to look sweet.

            "Uhhh…"

            "Now…" His eyes glinted, and Ginny got the message. She blanched, and turned to Harry.

            "Sorry Harry, I need to go." And the two students turned and walked off in opposite directions, leaving Harry very confused.

            "You know, I have a feeling that something important just happened, but I can't think what it was."

            The Fat Lady opened an eye tiredly, "Ahhh, young love."

            "What?! Not that again!" Harry was even more confused, and decided to make it a night.

            That afternoon, he used lunchtime to ask the other half of the list. As he walked down the Slytherin table, trying to decide if any Slytherins could possibly like him, Malfoy jeered, "Still looking for your love, Potter? You don't have any chance!" Harry turned.

            "Do you know who it is?"

            "I know that you don't."

            "Who?"

            "Is he talking?" Malfoy asked Crabbe.

Crabbe erupted into laughter. "Y-yeah, you can't here him? He said, 'Who?' Like, you know…"

Malfoy was disgusted. "Never mind." To Harry, he said, "Stop looking. You won't find him."

Harry was taken aback. Malfoy seemed so _serious_. "O-ok. I won't stop, though."

"Whatever, Potter."

            After dinner, Harry went to the library to find Draco Malfoy and Ginny sitting next to each other, earnestly talking.

            "Ginny!"

            "Harry!" Ginny said, surprised. Draco was sullenly silent.

            "Ginny, what are you doing hanging around with a Malfoy?"

            She threw a pained look at the boy beside her, "Harry, that's not nice. He's—"

            "I'm helping her with her charms. Is that a problem?" Draco looked up evenly, not betraying his thoughts.

            "Charms? I'm sure. Look, Ginny, he's not a person to stick with. You aren't…going out, are you?" He positively reeked of disapproval and shock.

            "NO!" she yelled, and got a look from the librarian. "No. He just happened to be here when I needed help, that's all. I've got a test tomorrow and I need help from _someone!"_

            "You seem to bump into Malfoy an awful lot these days."

            "Well, we have something in common."

            "What?"

            Draco looked angrily at Ginny, "We both like the same Quidditch team! Isn't that great?" Ginny announced

            "What?"

            "Yeah! So we talk about the team." She grinned happily at the two boys glaring daggers at each other. "Umm…I really have to go…" 

She looked at Harry and Draco, thought about each boy carefully, weighing the chances. She really wanted Harry to be happy, and knew she was too shy, or scared, to reveal her crush to him. Besides, the crush was fading, now just a habit, a known fact, rather than actual emotions. She decided to help them both, knowing full well Harry would never seriously consider Draco as the boy and Draco would never tell him. She actually looked forward to being a matchmaker.

            "Heeyy, Draco, would you mind going to Professor Flitwick's office tonight and asking him about it, since you're all done with homework. Oh, Harry, he had something to give you…did you hand in anything late? It's all graded." She lied. She felt it was quite an obvious one, an idiotic one. But Draco agreed, for some strange reason. Harry had no reason _not_ to believe her. She was the shy sister of his best friend, so why would she lie?

            Draco didn't know where she was going with it- he didn't have a question to ask. But she looked so determined. In the last few days, their common bond- not quidditch, actually, but Harry, had formed into a covert friendship. So he obliged, for once. Harry followed him out.

            "Oh, Harry?" He turned around, "I've been thinking, make sure to ask _all the boys about the poem!"_

            Harry thought the comment a little random, but he nodded and trotted off after the Slytherin. Who hadn't he asked? Well, he had time; Flitwick's office was all the way across the castle. He absently followed the boy in front of him

            Draco, after hearing Ginny's last remark, took a very long time to walk across the school. He made a lengthy circle, thinking about whether to talk to Harry. Harry seemed to be in a trance behind him. The secret he had kept for so long was begging to come out. Telling Ginny had relieved it a little. He would have told Crabbe and Goyle, they wouldn't have told anyone, but that was like telling two rocks. Crabbe and Goyle didn't count. Actually, he had to admit to himself that he was pretty mean to Ginny, taking her privately aside and yelling at her about her crush. She had been so startled, but soon figured out that Draco liked Harry as well. So Draco threatened her. Of course, Ginny still had the upper hand. If news got out, his school life would be destroyed, not to mention his family would be ruined. A gay Malfoy? A pureblood? No threats would stop that. So he had decided to plead with her again. And again. Until he realized that it was no good, he would have to be nice. So they became fairly friendly, in a way. But all that was out of his mind now, as he led Harry deeper into the dungeons, taking the exact opposite way.


	3. Chapter 3

A Valentine Rhyme (part 3)

"Hey, where are we going?" Harry was startled out of his trance, having completed the mental list of boys to ask. He was startled because that name included the boy he was walking with right now.

            Draco stopped, startled. "What?"

            "We're by the dungeons, Malfoy. Not the charms office."

            "Must've taken a wrong turn." Malfoy mentally swore. He was an idiot for taking a route that any first-year would know was the wrong way.

            "A _wrong turn_? Malfoy, this is opposite of where we should be!" Draco was silent. Suddenly, Harry remarked, "You know, now that I have you to talk with, Ginny told me to ask all the boys about the poem. So: did you or did you not send it?" the corners of his mouth quirked up. The answer was, of course, no.

            But Draco stayed silent. "I'm not asking if you _like_ me. If you did send it as a joke, I promise not to beat you— too badly."

            The silence was unnerving, "You're ignoring me?"

            "No…I…" the words trailed off.

            "What?"

            "I do like you!" The words reverberated off the dungeon walls, echoing through the basement.

            "What?" Harry repeated, dumbly.

            "I do like you," he turned, "I do like you, I do like you. Not as a joke. I sent it. Although, I didn't make that stupid poem. That was the dwarf's doing," he looked rueful.

            "Oh. Well, it…" Harry paused, a little afraid, "I'm happy that it wasn't a joke." He finished lamely. "What about your family? Are you coming out soon? Are you thinking this through?"

            Draco was suddenly angry. "You don't care that I just said that I liked you, want to be with you? All you care about is my family?" he whispered. "I don't believe it. I don't believe it. I spent so long just wishing…" He stopped, and ran past Harry, up the stairs.

            Harry was utterly lost. He hadn't meant to be so cruel, just the idea of Malfoy _liking him, and not only as a friend, baffled him. His thoughts needed to catch up. Maybe it wasn't so bad, he thought. Maybe I could like him too. He thought of the Draco he knew. Cold, proud, beautifully above everyone else, eyes glinting. He was beautiful, Harry admitted it to himself. Maybe he should try again. He thought of the other boy's recent insults. They had all pertained to his search for the nameless admirer. But the strain was too much._

            He sat down wearily, wondering what to do next. He couldn't tell what time it was, but he was sure it was late.

            Green eyes closed, slowly, until sleep came and Harry didn't have to think any more.

            Breakfast was muted for the two. Crabbe and Goyle spent it talking about Potter, who had evidently spent the night in the dungeons only to be found by Snape in the morning.

            "Some lame excuse about going to see him for extra credit and falling asleep waiting for him."

            "Too bad Dumbledore stopped Professor Snape from taking off 200 points. Said Harry was too stressed."

            "What an idiot!"

            Ginny had slept in, gathering her energy for the test today, while Harry sat in silence between Hermione and Ron, both a little disbelieving of his story.

            "You didn't really ask _Snape_ for extra credit, mate?"

            "Harry, that is not a good way to get your grades up. You know that!"

            Harry was not talkative, to the distress of the pair. He was, instead, deep in thought. He had been too hasty in his decision. The shock, he reminded himself, was the reason he was so unemotional. But when he passed the other table to talk to Draco, the Slytherin didn't even look his way, or throw a barbed comment at the black-haired boy, highly unlike him.

            As he walked away, Harry heard Goyle mutter, "Umm…that was Harry…Harry Potter? Remember?" And a slight yelp and a crash.

            By the time dinner came around, Harry was horribly upset. He had spent all day in a funk, getting hit by bludgers twice during practice. Fred and George teased him the entire time, and even Wood lifted himself from the intensity of the scrimmage to comment, "Harry, you don't look like yourself," to which Harry thought, "What, do I look like someone else?"

            Draco had decided to act cold and ignore his crush, very consciously, so he didn't make a stab at Harry all day. Potions was unusually quiet as both Draco and Harry made their invisible potions mechanically. Harry was only slightly surprised to find, with Draco's remarks silenced, he did a pretty OK job. Of course, he also was in a very black mood. He figured that with Draco quiet and him in a good mood, he might actually have done well the year before. But no matter, Snape _was _out to get him.

            Ginny was distraught. She had tried to be the matchmaker and get her two older friends together, but it had ended in something very bad, she could tell. Whatever happened wasn't good. Draco refused to talk to her, and Harry just looked broodingly past her when she tried to speak, not really paying attention to the younger girl. Her efforts had gone to naught.

            Ron and Hermione, ever the best friends, offered to get revenge on person responsible for putting Harry in such a bad temper. Harry waved them off tiredly.


	4. Chapter 4

A Valentine Rhyme (part 4)

Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, the famous child who destroyed He Who Must Not Be Named, twice, in fact, didn't know what to do. Before the fateful valentine, he hadn't even considered the fact he might like another boy. He realized that he hadn't had many crushes, first being isolated from the children at his old school, then being introduced to his own group of people like him. Even this year, he had finally noticed someone else, a slight crush on Cho Chang, who played on the Ravenclaw team. Looking back, he decided, the crush was on her superbly graceful and speedy flying skills. She was wonderful to watch, but the thought of actually dating her or, he thought not a little uncomfortably, _doing anything with her, didn't inspire any feelings. For the first time, Harry thought about the fact he might be, dare he think it? Gay._

            After that, he was certain that he had to talk to Draco Malfoy, once more, at least to apologize. Maybe more. But Draco wouldn't talk to him, wouldn't look at him. The boy who had once jeeringly mocked him seemed to be unaware of his presence and that made him very confused. So, Draco was mad. But he had tried to apologize! Many times, actually. 

            Draco, on the other hand, didn't have to come to terms with being gay, didn't have to think about his crush on a guy, didn't have to worry about how to apologize. Or that's what he thought. He just was angry. After already spending months agonizing- even over summer break! - he was troubled. More than troubled, totally despairing of life. Suicide didn't cross his mind, however. No! A Malfoy never lost his honor. And he wallowed through classes, disappointing teachers and friends alike. Not that he had friends, really. He even shrugged off Ginny Weasley, who he thought nice for forgoing her own seniority as crusher, and letting him try.

            "Hermione?" Harry asked innocently a few days later.

            "Yes, Harry."

            "D'we have any more…poly juice potion left?"

            "Well, yes. I've got some." Hermione eyed her best friend.

            "I should dispose of it." Harry said, deciding before she could react.

            "O-ok, let me get it." She left, and returned with a small carton. "Just a little left."

            Harry nodded and took it to the bathroom. This was risky, he knew, but he thought it might work. He never thought about how desperate he was getting. Adding a hair from Goyle, again, and turned into the large boy. He knew Goyle would be asleep this late at night, content and snoring. At least, Harry figured he snored. He thought Goyle would be the snoring type. In any case, Harry decided to enact his plan right then, to save himself from doubt. He wasn't even sure what his full plan was.

            Sneaking into the common room was not hard, after he had stood in front of the door and waited for another late Slytherin to come, announcing he had forgot the password. Goyle was stupid, everyone knew that.

            He lumbered in, scouting the common room. Not seeing Draco, he went into the next rooms, to the bedrooms. He figured that he must be sleeping. Tiptoeing in as quietly as possible, he looked at the sleeping faces of the boys. Everyone was supposed to be in now, so he assumed everyone would be there.

            There were Crabbe and Goyle, sleeping in beds just a little too small for them, and after them came Draco, totally knocked out.

            He was gorgeous, Harry thought. His blonde hair spread over the pillow, eyes peacefully closed. Without his smirk, he was a lot nicer looking. Harry sat on the side of his bed, just looking at him, unsure of what to do next, now that he was here. He hadn't thought this far ahead. He wasn't sure how long he sat, but he remembered the time limit as Draco stirred a little, smacked his lips in a little cute sleepy motion, and settled down again. His lips were parted oh-so-sweetly, and Harry couldn't help but lean over, unaware of what he was doing, and closed his eyes.

            Draco opened his eyes, sensing another presence, as light sleepers do sometimes. He saw Goyle leaning towards him. He was alarmed and got up on his arms, leaning back. What was Goyle doing? Was he trying to kiss him? Was he sleepwalking? As he watched, Goyle morphed, sickeningly, into Harry Potter, looking positively frightened as he leaned in, still with his eyes closed.

            "What the—? I must be dreaming…" He murmured, to himself.

            The Goyle-Harry opened his eyes, and gasped, seeing Draco inches away from his nose, awake and mystified.

            "I-I," he scrabbled around for words, "Sorry." He finally simply said.

            "What? Goyle?"

            Harry looked down, "No, I changed back, I'm Harry. Harry Potter?"

            "No, you're Goyle…I just saw you." He told the thing on his bed, "Excuse me, I don't like this dream!" He called to someone above him.

            "Nono! Shhhh! Everyone will wake up!" Fortunately, no one stirred, and Harry was able to turn his attention back to the other boy. "I used…magic…to get in here are see you!" He said desperately.

            "Oh?" Draco raised an eyebrow, albeit still not sure what was going on.

            "I just want to apologize…for being such an ass and all…and I really do like you!" He said, breathing hard.

            "Oh." Draco said quietly. "I see."

            "I though that…you know…we…"

            "We what?" Draco was suddenly very awake, to Harry's further discomposure.

            "Well, I…" Harry stumbled, looking around.

            "I'm being hard on you; I get some revenge too yanno," Draco whispered, and leaned up to chastely kiss Harry's nose. Harry reeled back, astonished, then gratefully relaxed and slumped down onto Draco's bed.

            "Oh…I thought…"

            "This is really hard for you, huh?" Draco whispered again, sincerely sounding sweet this time, and Harry nodded, feeling a little stupid. "Ok, here we go," and he kissed him again, on the mouth, tasting Harry's lips, feeling like he had something he shouldn't. Draco cast that feeling aside. Harry was his, and his family couldn't stop that. He tasted salt, and opened his eyes to see Harry shed a tear. "Oh" He spoke, feeling the black-haired boy's lips over his own.

            "'M ok" Harry smiled, and deepened the kiss, feeling like he finally had someone who didn't care about his past or the heir. Draco closed his eyes again, and they kissed for a long time, tasting each other and hungrily exploring each other's mouths. Harry was shy, not sure about how to proceed, but Draco was smooth, relaxed. At least on the outside.

            "You know," Harry remarked, "That was my first kiss."

            Draco looked away. "Pansy Parkinson. What a—I don't like her. I'm really sorry."

            Harry nodded, "She clings to you. It's ok."

            "I know! My parents think we're gonna marry or something." Draco spoke with feeling, making fists, grasping the sheets.

            "I have to go." He didn't have a watch, but looked at Draco's bedside, and saw it was really late. Or rather, really early. "I have to go." He repeated, a little helplessly.

            "'S ok," said Draco, the same way. He got up, rearranged his clothing, and walked Harry outside to the common room. "I'll walk with you."

            "No, don't!" Harry whispered.

            "You don't want to tell people?" Draco was hurt.

            "No, I don't you want to caught. People will think we…you know. I'll tell everyone tomorrow, at breakfast." Harry promised, and turned to leave.

            "Harry…" Harry looked at him, inspecting him. "Love you," he said, trying to make it offhand.

            Harry smiled, "Love you." He kissed Draco's forehead, and left for his own common room.


End file.
